Stars In The Gutter
by dahmereatsrainbows
Summary: All her life, Maryse Ouellet has been a pampered brat until her father decides to cut her off as soon as she heads to University. Now, she's left to face the real world alone until she meets the unpredictable AJ Lee whose fighting her own demons, and gets a lesson in tough love from her polar opposite, Phil Brooks. Multi couples.
1. The Pillows

**CHAPTER 1**

**The Pillows**

* * *

_"This is for your own good."_ His voice had been ringing in her head for months now. _"You need to learn that life can't always be easy." _She groaned and turned in her small bed. The sight of the cinder block walls of her dormitory didn't exactly help her out either. This wasn't her plan. Why did this shit have to happen to her?

A few months before Maryse started attending Wilde University, her father decided to stop giving her money. He said he wanted her to earn the value of a dollar. _"I'll still help you out with tuition, but you're gonna get a job whether you like it or not." _ Since then, the blonde has been living in this shitty little dorm with her pint sized roommate, April.

_"You're going to end up thanking me for this." _Another groan came from French Canadian as she burrowed her face in her silk covered pillow. The door opened and April Mendez came in with a light blue towel wrapped around her neck and her toothbrush in her mouth. She rolled her eyes at the sight of her roomie.

"Hey, classes start in twenty minutes. You might want to get up now." She said. Maryse turned and faced her. April shrugged her shoulders and went over to her dresser and started picking out clothes. "Moaning and groaning all day won't make daddy give you money, you know."

The blonde sat up and crossed her arms. "Oh, shut up, April."

Wearing only a black bra and jean shorts, the small woman turned and squatted next to Maryse. "I told you to call me AJ. It's not hard to remember! Just two words A-J! Okay, blondie?" She stood up and put on the rest of her clothes and grabbed her Spider-Man backpack which Maryse thought was _"Sooooo childish."_

"See you in class." she said before slamming the door.

Maryse fell back into her bed and stared at the ceiling. She really should get off her ass and head to her seminar, but she lacked the motivation. However, knowing Mr. Helmsley, Maryse will probably get in trouble if she decided to waltz into class fifteen minutes late. So, she swung her legs off the side of her bed and got up.

The best thing about Wilde University, were the dorm rooms. Two beds on opposite sides of the room, two separate dressers and enough room for a small loveseat and a TV. Well, in AJ and Maryse's case, a teeny little 15 inch. Looking at her clothes was the one of the few things Maryse had to remember her old life. Her good life. _Dad, can take my money, but he sure as shit can't take my clothes._ She thought to herself. Finally dressed in her favorite Burberry blouse and lace pencil skirt, Maryse put on her ballerina flats and grabbed her Owl print knapsack from Forever 21 and headed out the door ready to face another harsh day of classes.

**x-x-x**

Phil Brooks knew he was late, so he didn't exactly make an effort in getting to class sooner. He really liked Wilde's campus; gorgeous little rose bushes and stone pathways that complimented the tall cathedral like buildings. It may not have been his hometown of Chicago, Illinois -frequently called "The best place on Earth" by Phil- but it was a great place will with awesome people.

Well, _mostly_ awesome people. Wilde had it's fair share of nut job girls and asshole guys, but Phil -or as his friend's call him, Punk- was great with not letting jerks like that get to him. Finally making his way to Helmsley's class, Phil did his best to creep into his seat without getting caught. Needless to say, he failed terribly.

"Mr. Brooks, I'm glad that you finally decided to grace us with your presence." Mr. Helmsley said as he lowered the book he had been previously reading from. "God, this just makes my day; What's your excuse this time?"

Phil winced at the eyes of his fellow classmates as they all turned in his direction. Escpecially that of his roommate, John Cena and his good friend, AJ Lee. "Well, sir, would you believe me if I told you that I got lost on the path of life?" A few quiet laughs could be heard from the crowd.

"Very funny, Mr. Brooks. Would you like to hear one of my jokes?"

"Lay it on me, Mr. H." The tattooed man said hesitantly.

Mr. Helmsley feigned laughter. "Knock, knock."

"Who's there?"

"You. With your 200 word essay on my desk by this Friday." The older man said.

Phil stared at him incredulously, ignoring the mocking jokes from his peers. "I thought we had another week to hand that in?"

"Well, now _you _don't. Have a seat, Mr. Brooks." A couple of more giggles followed the dark haired man as he took his normal seat next to AJ. The students returned to face the board following Phil's minor public turmoil.

"Shit," he muttered as Helmsley continued. AJ laughed as she jotted down notes. "I swear that guy has it out for me."

The dark haired woman didn't look up from her book while she gave her friend the third degree. "It's your fault for being tardy. What happened? Did Adolf Eve give you a hard time?"

Phil rolled his eyes as while grabbing his own notebook and copied a bit from AJ. "That's the understatement of the century. She said I couldn't leave until I organized the inventory _exactly _the way she wanted."

John snickered on the other side of AJ. "Girls just don't seem to dig you, Punk."

"I can't help it if the girls here are totally nuts." he said which earned him a glared from AJ. "Sorry, _some_ of the girls here are totally nuts."

Letting out an exhausted sigh, AJ placed her hand under her chin. "At least you guys don't have to live with one." she complained.

"Maryse giving you trouble?" Cena asked to which AJ nodded.

"That blonde chick?" Punk questioned.

The young woman nodded once again. "Yes, Punk. _That blonde chick_. God, if I hear her complain one more time, I'll go insane." The two guys on either side of her laughed as their conversation died down, forcing them to listen to Helmsley drone on and on. While staring off into space, Punk's eyes landed on the blonde -AKA, the bane of AJ's existence- who was sitting next to Alicia Fox. She looked very pretty, but given the way she dressed and the AJ talked about her, she was probably just another spoiled brat. There's only a few things that Phil Brooks can't stand: Alcohol, disrespect, and spoiled brats.

When class ended, the students gathered their things and exited in a sloppy fashion. Cena caught up to AJ and wrapped an arm around her. Punk watched on from behind and made an obnoxious gagging noise. "Hey, Lee. How about I get you away from that evil roomie of yours and treat you to a couple drinks at Dirty Shelly's?" Dirty Shelly's was the student bar a few blocks off campus. It's a pretty cool place unless you don't drink and the only thing you can order is a stupid virgin Shirley Temple, like Punk.

"You're on." the woman said. Her face lit up with Cena's invitation. "My last class is at Two. Meet me outside of Jasper Hall?"

John nodded letting AJ separate herself from his grasp as she skipped out of the room and down the hall. He sighed at his best friend and walked side by side with Punk to their next class. "So I'm guessing that I'm not invited to this little shindig?"

"Punk, if you show up there, I'll kill you." The guys made it out of the building and crossed the quad. They passed by The Gutter which was Wilde University's campus store and the where Phil worked with Eve Torres. He rolled his icy eyes and followed his friend to the smaller stone building where their class with the always gorgeous Miss McCool. The hot new teacher that came to the University this semester -she's also the star in Mike Mizanin's wet dreams.

Walking into the brightly lit room with it's floor-to-ceiling windows, Phil sat next to John. "So when are you gonna get over this whole AJ thing?"

"What AJ thing?"

"Come on, John. 'Oh, AJ let's head to Dirty Shelly's.' or 'Oh, AJ how about we head to my dorm and play some _Halo_?'" Phil mocked with exaggerated hand gestures while Cena scoffed. "You have this weird thing for her, okay?"

John sighed as other students sauntered inside. Miss McCool was sitting at her desk looking over some papers waiting for class to actually begin. "Look, Phil. AJ's been my best friend since tenth grade. I don't have a _thing_ for her."

"I hope not. You know that AJ's sworn off guys ever since-"

"Yeah, I fucking know. Just drop it." John usually keeps his cool. It's very rare when he snaps on someone like that. Punk took note of that and decided to drop the subject altogether. John stared off into the large windows that showed the beauty of the campus. He knew AJ better than anybody. If fact, he was the first one to call her "AJ" in their school. Being that there were already two other April's in their class and her middle name is Jeanette, AJ has been her nickname ever since. There's no way that their friendship could ever be more than just that. So why is it bugging him so much?

* * *

**_First wrestling fic. Let's see how it goes? _**

**_Reviews would be great!  
_**

**_~xxCheyenne  
_**


	2. Epitome Of Odd

**_an: For some reason, the website screwed me over. So if you're reading this on mobile, chapter 2 is all in bold and I'm not sure why. It really sucks, but this chapter is great so read!_**

**_Hey, guys chapter two! Whatever you do, do NOT have any faith in me with updates. Some days they might be weekly and other days it might be every other week or even once a month. For me, inspiration comes and goes. I just wanted y'all to know that so you don't get discouraged if there isn't an update for a few weeks. (I know, I'm a horrible person. You all can hate me.) _**

**_Enjoy & excuse any typos!_**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

**Epitome Of Odd**

* * *

"Gizmo! Get back here you little freak!" Natalya was cooped up in her dorm with her roomie, Beth Phoenix. The blondes were on their hands and knees looking for Natalya's feline companion. It was important that they found him fast. Pets aren't allowed in Wilde, but Nattie could bare leaving her kitty in Calgary. She's done a great job of hiding him so far, why give up now?

Beth gave up and sat at the foot of her bed, picking at her finger nails. "Jesus, Nattie. That cat is going to be the death of you." The shorter blonde ignored her friend and kept searching. _Come on, Gizmo. Don't let the evil University force Mama to send you back home._ Suddenly, movement was heard in Beth's closet. Nat quickly scurried over to it and pushed aside her roommate's clothes, much to her chargin. Being clumsy as always, Natalya banged into her lacrosse stick which subsequently fell in front of her. A loud squeal escaped her mouth as a grey and white fur ball jumped from the closet and ran out the door that stood ajar.

"Crap!" Natalya screamed while she stumbled out of the room leaving Beth in a hysterical fit of laughter. "Why am I such a freaking klutz?" The fair haired woman stood in the hallway and wondered where her Satan cat went. She heard the pitter patter of his tiny paws coming from her left. She raced over there, praying that she could catch him before anyone would see him.

To her horror, Gizmo was in the arms of Wade Barrett. The British man was in Nat's psychology class, but she didn't know much about him. All she really knew was that he lives with Cody Rhodes and that he was on the Boxing club.

"Hey there, little bugger. What on Earth are you doing here?" he hummed at Gizmo like a baby. It was such a sight to see. Wade chuckled when the kitty purred in his arms. His really _strong_ arms. _Wow..._

"Uh, he's mine." Natalya said walking over to the tall dark haired man.

Handing Gizmo back to the blonde, Wade stared at her. "There's a no pet policy at this school, you know." _Holy crap, that accent is so attractive. _Nattie couldn't help, but gawk at Barrett's physique. He had muscle in all the right places, she even noticed some ink on his right shoulder. The shirt he was wearing obscured most of the tattoo, but she could make out the word "Despair" _That's kinda-_

Wade snapped his fingers when he noticed that the blonde wasn't talking. "Oh, I'm sorry." Natalya cleared her throat. "Yeah, I know it's against the rules, but I couldn't leave him at home." Wade smiled and reached out to scratch behind Gizmo's ear. Nattie glanced at his hand and noticed that his knuckles were littered with bruises. _Someone has a temper, eh?_

"Listen, if this isn't too much to ask, could you keep this whole ordeal to yourself?"

The Brit nodded. "Sure thing. Just keep a closer eye on that cat of yours."

_Oh, well that was a bit rude... _Nattie thought to herself. "Yeah, will do. Quick question; what are you doing in Jasper Hall? This is the girl's dorm."

"I'm visiting a friend." he said walking around the blonde. "You're Natalya Neidhart, right?" She faced him and nodded. "I've seen you on the lacrosse team. You're pretty good. Wade turned away and walked over to one of the dorms leaving Natalya in the hallway with Gizmo wriggling in her arms.

_There's something about that one._ She thought. _I should probably stay away from guys like him._

**x-x-x**

"Going somewhere, _AJ_?" Maryse asked when she walked in, after classes were _finally_ over, to find her tiny roommate changing into a nicer blouse. The blonde looked down on the floor kicked AJ's Ant Man t-shirt. The only reason Maryse recognized the superhero is because that's usually all AJ freaking talks about. Then again, Maryse never really read comics. Things like that were too childish for her time. (In her defense, she did know about Batman. Christian Bale is really hot, okay?)

The brunette picked up her shirt and tossed it on her bed. "For your information, yes. John and I are going to Dirty Shelly's for drinks." she said very matter-of-factly. She buttoned up a nice blue split neck blouse with white polka dots. It looked great on AJ's petite body. Maryse was a bit impressed. Who knew AJ Lee had good taste in fashion?

"Is this a date?" the French-Canadian seemed to be a little intrigued. AJ was always with that Cena guy. Maryse never talked to him before, but he was really attractive.

"Oh, no way." AJ replied. She laughed under her breath. "John and I have been friends since were like fifteen. I'm pretty sure if he liked me in _that_ way, he would've told me." _Come on, AJ. _Maryse thought. _Guys like John Cena aren't that bright._

The blonde rolled her eyes. "I just find it hard to believe that a guy and a girl could be friends for so many years without any _feelings._" Plopping down on her bed, Maryse kicked off her flats and let out a heavy sigh.

AJ stared at the tall voluptuous woman. "I'm sorry. Are we actually having a civil conversation?"

Maryse scrunched up her face. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that you and I usually just bicker or don't even talk at all." AJ explained. Maryse thought it over and it was kinda true. While the two of them still had their differences over trivial shit -Maryse likes her things neat and organized while AJ's side of the room looks like a tornado hit- it was really nice that they could talk once in a while.

"Well, good luck on you non-date that's totally a date." Maryse smirked at the short woman's eye roll. "I've got to head to the library because I've got an essay to write."

Putting on her jacket, AJ stood in the blondes way and sighed. "Look, how about you just use my laptop?" Maryse stared at her. "You've just been kinda stressed about this whole money thing and I've been kind of douchy about it. I'm sorry." She pointed towards the light blue Mac book pro resting on the small desk that she and Maryse share.

A smile found its way on Maryse's face. "_Merci beaucoup_."

"_Pas de probleme._" AJ replied in an awful French accent which made them both giggle. Soon, the brunette was out the door and Maryse was getting a head start on Helmsley's essay.

After about a half hour of solid typing, the blonde took a break and decided to check her Facebook. A few notifications here and there and a message from Eve Torres, Maryse's best friend at Wilde.

_hey, ryse! wanna hang out this weekend? i wanna take you shopping. i hate seeing you all down in the dumps :c_

She sighed at the screen. _merci, but i can't let you do that... i'd feel incredibly guilty. _Despite her reputation of being a ball-busting bitch, Eve was a really good person. Especially to Maryse. Most of the blondes old friends turned their backs on her when she got cut off. Like they couldn't been seen with her if she couldn't afford their lifestyle. Eve wasn't like that. Not at all.

_all well. looks like i'm just gonna have get you a job. NO BUTS MISSY! i'll help you find something. i'm great at everything ;)_

This day was going to come eventually. Maryse chuckled and typed. _mon dieu! if you say so. we'll go job hunting on saturday. mkay? _

_perfect!_

Maryse went to check her news feed, but she accidently clicked on Eve's page. As she went to click the back arrow, her eyes caught Eve's friend's list. Specifically, that of a Phil Brooks. She recognized the face, but couldn't really see it clearly on the small icon. _It's not weird if I just click on it, right? _So, Maryse did.

Holy shit this guy was all kinds of attractive. _So many tattoos..._ She thought to herself. Suddenly, it clicked. _This is one of AJ's friends! _In his profile picture, he wore a Chicago Cubs cap and a grey hoodie, but what Maryse noticed were his knuckles with the words, 'Drug Free' tattooed on them. He _was_ fairly good looking, but a lot of ink is a huge turn off in the blonde's eyes.

_so what're you doing now?_

The little 'bloop' sound made Maryse jump, but she quickly realized that is was just Eve messaging her. She averted her eyes from Phil's profile and turned to the small chat box. _oh nothing, just getting started on my essay for mr. helmsley._ With that, Maryse exited out of Phil's page and managed to talk to Eve whilst getting a good chunk of her work done.

* * *

_**Okay, how was that? A bit shorter than the last chapter so sorry!**_

_**I'm going to have a few side couples here and there, but I will have two mains. (Which you can already guess, but I'll still be discreet.) Next chapter will start in Punk's POV and we'll see how it goes. Don't worry. Lots of more character development from here on out.  
**_

_**~xxCheyenne  
**_


	3. A Day At The Salt Mines

_**Hey, guys. Chapter three is up. There was a little delay, but I'm glad that I was able to get this up! Oh, happy belated Valentine's Day! This chapter is just a set up for the next one. Bare with me! Enjoy and excuse any typos!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

**A Day At The Salt Mines**

* * *

"For someone who went out with a _friend_ you seem pretty beat up about this." Punk said while he and John were in the cafeteria. They were talking about John's "non-date" with AJ last night. It didn't really go exactly as how the Massachusetts native planned. "So Kaitlyn came back from Houston. It's not that bad."

Cena rolled his eyes. He picked at his pizza. "She shows up and suddenly, it's like I don't freaking exist." Looking over at Punk's sly grin, John continued. "Hey, man. I don't care. It's just kind of rude, you know?"

Punk couldn't help, but snicker a bit. "Fucking Kaitlyn, I swear." He laughed, but Cena didn't find it all that funny. "Quit acting like such a baby, jeez. Just ask AJ out again on Saturday. Maybe then you can a better chance to woo her."

"I'm not trying to _woo_ her, Punk. Will you get that through your skull?" John poked at Punk's slicked back hair. The tattooed man smacked Cena's hand away and sighed out loud.

"Dude, you have it so bad for her." Suddenly, Punk felt a hand on his right shoulder. He looked up and was met with the blue eyes of Beth Phoenix. The blonde had a smirk on her ruby lips as she sat down with the two men.

Phil and Beth go way back. When they were in high school, Punk had long greasy hair and played bass in a garage band he had with his friends. Beth was a rough tomboy who liked her hair cut short and would get her kicks from beating up anyone who crossed her. Boy, have they changed in the last couple of years. Punk cut his hair and realized he could play bass for shit and Beth dressed a bit more girly and smoothed her jagged edge.

"You know, I wonder why you're so keen on John revealing whether or not he has feelings for AJ," she started ever so properly. "when you haven't had a girl friend since senior year." She rested her hand under her chin and hummed at Punk.

John laughed as Punk scoffed. "Ouch, Beth. Your words hurt me ever so much." he said sarcastically. "I guess I just can't get over you." Beth grinned. The two of them used to date on and off in high school. _Sometimes _they hook up here and there, but for the most part the two of them were great friends. "Look, nobody really gets me, okay?"

Beth sighed. "Your expectations are way too high. You want a girl that is exactly like you." She ate a bit of her salad and rolled her eyes. "Take it from me; you need someone to challenge you." Phil let her words sink in. Maybe she's right. Then again, Beth is _always _right.

**x-x-x**

AJ racked up a few drinks for her fellow classmates. Working at Dirty Shelly's gave the little brunette a lot of bar tending skills. She could toss glasses in the air and catch them with ease. Ask her for a margarita, she'll have it for you in under a minute. Little umbrella and every thing. The bar gave her time to think as well. After serving her last order, she took a little break. AJ remembered her little outing with John last night.

He seemed to be a little upset when he walked the brunette and Kaitlyn to Jasper Hall. AJ _did_ feel a little bad. She kinda ignored him a little bit when she realized that her best friend had come home from Texas two days early. Then again, it's not like they were on a date, right? Of course! Besides, AJ told herself that she would swear off guys altogether. Her hopes of a school romance were cut short back in high school, but let's not dwell on _those_ thoughts.

"Yo, J." the voice snapped AJ back to reality. She was met with the perfect smile of Cody Rhodes. Thanks to that Georgia cutie, AJ got this job in her first few weeks of the school year. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Codes. Just worried about my paper for Helmsley. Y'know he's a big perfectionist." AJ hated lying, but her girly little thoughts were none of his concern.

"God, I remembered that hard ass. So glad that I'm done with that class." they both laughed. Cody was a year above her. The two really warmed up to each other which made them perfect co-workers. "Anyways, don't sweat it, kid. You'll do great." She smiled at him as he went over to the bar and started canoodling with one of the patrons.

It was Layla. She was a gorgeous British beauty who was well on her way in earning her major in medicine. The two of them had been dating since their freshman year. Watching them made AJ's heart feel a bit heavy. She remembered feeling that way. The cute kisses in between classes, the sweet nothings whispered in her ear, spooning together. All of it.

_Get over it. _She thought trying to get the image out of her mind. AJ took a deep breath and decided to get back to work. She looked up to see Maryse walking inside and sitting up front. "Someone's finally getting a taste of the real world." the brunette said as she went over to her roommate.

"Just trying to enjoy my last night of freedom before Eve takes me job hunting." she said rolling her hazel eyes.

"Oh? Gonna find work at the salt mines, eh?" AJ laughed to herself as the blonde scoffed. "Can I get you anything?" After scanning the menu for a few seconds, the French Canadian opted for a Long Island iced tea. Apparently she's "never heard of it" which made AJ gasp loudly. "Have you ever worked anywhere before?"

Quick like always, AJ had Maryse's drink ready in no time. She even got a little fancy and put a lemon slice on it. So classy. "When I was in high school, I did a little modeling, but I've never really had a job."

"_Modeling?_ Shit, dude." AJ said. Maryse shrugged her shoulders. "How about The Gutter? It's the campus store. Eve works there."

"Yeah, I've been considering that. Who else works there?" she asked.

"Uh, I think Mike Mizanin still works there..." AJ thought for a second. "Oh! Punk works there too, but he hates it."

_Punk? _Oh... her friend. "That guy with the tattoos?" AJ nodded. "What's his story?"

AJ squinted a bit at the blonde. It was kinda weird that she'd ask about Phil, but she just dismissed it. "He's from Chicago, born and raised. He's got a little sister named Monica and an older brother, but he doesn't talk about him much. Sometimes he's an asshole, but he's actually really cool."

"What's with all the ink?" Maryse asked sipping her drink with actually tasted pretty damn good.

"He says that they're an expression who he is, but he's got a few of them that I don't even get." Maryse cocked her head signaling for AJ to continue. "Well, he's got the Pepsi logo on his shoulder and the number 31 behind his ear. Don't get me wrong, they're awesome looking, but he takes his ink way to seriously."

The girls laughed, but AJ had to tend to the other patrons. Maryse thought about Saturday. Hopefully Eve will help her out, but it's not like the blonde has any skills. A whole life of getting anything and everything she's ever wanted has taught her that. Maybe that's why her dad sent her here. He always said he never wanted her to marry rich. He didn't want her to become dependent on some man. Maryse sighed out loud and sipped on her drink.

It's all about the real world from now on.

* * *

_**Three chapters in and yet Punk and Maryse haven't had any contact yet. But that will change in chapter four! I'd like to thank you guys for the reviews. (Some of them were very rude, but they've been reported so who cares?) If y'all have any suggestions on the story, message me! I'll really appreciate it!**_

_**~xxCheyenne**_


	4. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

_**Sorry this chapter took forever. My computer deleted ALL of my work for this story and the other story I'm currently working on. I'm really fucking angry, but there's nothing I can do about it, right? I basically had to start retyping this entire chapter from SCRATCH. And now I feel like shit because I think the original one was much better. **_

_**Sorry, guys. Here's chapter four. Excuse any typos  
**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

**Gentlemen Prefer Blondes**

* * *

_No, no, no, no, no. _Punk groaned as he heard the voice of Eve Torres calling for him. The tattooed man was sitting in the corner of the break room with his Minor Threat hoodie draped over him like a blanket. The poor guy had been up all night getting his paper in for Helmsley's class, that he could barely catch up on his Z's.

"Phil! Get your ass out here!" Getting up from his makeshift bed, Punk rubbed his eyes with his palm and straightened his 'The Gutter' shirt. God forbid, if Eve saw a wrinkle. He opened the metal door and noticed Eve was with a blonde. He didn't recognize her at first, but then it clicked. It's AJ's roommate. _Shit, what's her name? _It started with an M, he knew that, but what?

Eve grabbed the M chick by the arm and presented her like an exotic animal. "This is Maryse." she said full of glee. "She's going to be working here now." _That's right! Maryse! _Phil's eyes glazed over the golden haired girl. Damn, she was freaking pretty. Her olive shoulders were exposed by the baggy Owl sweater she was wearing and her legs seemed to go on for miles in her black skinnys.

"Is this a decision that Foley made, or one that you made?" Punk asked accusingly. Eve had a bad habit of making major decisions without asking Mick Foley. He's the manager of The Gutter and is usually a pretty laid back guy. However, he has one firm rule. All pre arrangements must go through him first. Something the Latina doesn't understand.

"For your information, Mick said that it was totally fine." she said with a big smile on her face. That's never a good sign. "_So _fine, that Mick suggested that you two work together."

Punk glared at his superior. Fuck. The Chicago native suddenly remembered all the times AJ had complained about her. The constant complaining and her undeserved sense of entitlement. He hated girls like that. There's no way Punk's working with her.

Maryse sized up the man standing before her. It was the first time she had seen him person. Despite trying to hide his feelings on the matter, the blonde could clearly see that he wasn't happy. "Eve, don't force him to do it. I can tell he doesn't want to." Phil was taken aback by her accent. It was subtle, but the way she said certain words was peculiar. It was kinda nice. French or something like that.

"Hey, Ryse. Can you check the back? I think there might be some shirts that'll fit you. Gutter policy." Rolling her hazel eyes, _Ryse_ did what Eve asked and went pass the break room towards the storage area in search of a work shirt. The Latina turned back to Punk who sighed before she could even say anything.

He raised his inked up arm. "Look, I _really_ don't care what you have to say. I'm not working with her. I work with Mike."

Eve arched her eyebrow. "Oh, boo-hoo. Listen here, Brooks. You're the best worker here, meaning that you're the best person to show her how to do inventory, check the books-"

"I'm not a babysitter." Punk interrupted.

"I'm not saying that you are. Just be a good little boy and do what you're told." Phil took a deep breath and briskly brushed past her. "Where are you going?" But Punk didn't reply, he pushed through the glass door leaving Eve alone in The Gutter.

**x-x-x**

She squinted her eyes and bit on her lip. Her concentration was unbreakable as she waited for her target to move. One false step and it was hook, line, and sinker. The anticipation was killing her, but finally, the opponent landed a swift blow at the ball. Agile as always, Natalya blocked the ball from entering the goal getting another grunt of frustration from Kaitlyn.

"Damn, Nat!" she screamed plopping down on the dew covered grass. "I can't play with you, you're too freaking good!" The two of them were practicing for the big game against the rival school up north. Kaitlyn hated going again the Canadian. They were great friends, but Nat was so great that the Texan would end up getting all frustrated.

The student brushed blonde tendrils out of her face. Rolling brown eyes, Natalya sighed at her friend. "Hey, you were the one going easy on me. O' Grady has a great team." Being un-ladylike as always, the star player hocked a big loogie which made Kaitlyn gag. "We've got to step up our game if we want to win."

Kaitlyn groaned and laid down on the grass getting stains all over her uniform. "I know, but can we take a break? We've been going at it for hours!" Nat laughed and sat next to her friend. "Hey did you hear about Mickie James?"

"Is she okay?" Nat asked with concern. Mickie was the captain of the team and the Canadian looked up to her greatly. Despite being the shortest one, Mickie can run circles around anybody.

"She's fine, but she's graduating this year so there's discussion of a new team captain." Kaitlyn divulged. Nat's face lit up. She's only been on the team for a few months, but the blonde has worked her ass off to play center. Being Captain (or at least co-captain) would be amazing. "Rumor has it, your name came up."

Natalya jumped up and did a big goofy dance. "Seriously?" she screamed. Kaitlyn nodded and the Canadian couldn't help herself. "Yeah, baby!" Doing her little shake, rattle, and roll, Nat thought about how great being captain would be. Natalya Neidhart, Wilde's Female Lacrosse Team Captain. Oh, yes, that sounds grand.

Still on the ground, Kaitlyn looked over towards the bleachers and saw two fairly good looking guys. The sandy haired younger one was lying on his back (much like herself) and fanning himself. The strong looking dark haired man was staring at Natalya with the hint of a smile on his face. "I think you've got a shadow."

"What?" Nat said as she ceased dancing. Kaitlyn nudge her chin over to the bleachers, the blonde turned and saw a very strapping Wade Barrett in an oh so lovely muscle shirt. _Calm yourself down, Natalya._ The British man beckoned for Nat to come over and, needless to say, she was blushing up a storm.

Kaitlyn beamed up at her friend. "He's cute. Better bag that up, Neidhart."

Shooting a glare at the Texan, Natalya walked over to the guys and felt incredibly small in the presence of the 6 foot tall man. Wade looked over at his friend. "Hey, Ambrose, can I get some privacy?" he said his thick accent. Ambrose huffed out an annoyed sigh, sat up, and wandered off in the opposite direction. When he was out of earshot, Barrett turned towards Nat. "Hey."

"Hi," Nattie replied a bit too cheery. She couldn't help herself, she _had_ to gawk at this Adonis like being in front of her. His hands were wrapped in bandages, and his tank top exposed the tattoo that Natalya could now actually read; 'Culture, Alienation, Boredom & Despair' She looked back up at him. "What's up?"

"Just needed a break from hitting the bag. Got a bit distracted when I saw you out there. You really lived up to my expectations." He smirked a bit and damn it, Nattie swooned. _He was distracted because of ME._

Grabbing the hem of her shirt, Nat tried to play it cool. "Thanks, we're playing O' Grady next weekend." she said. "You could come by if you want." Shit, why is she freaking out like this? She's acting like a damn school girl. She peeked over at Kaitlyn who was grinning like an idiot and clearly mouthing, _"Get some."_

Wade nodded his head. "I just might do that. Can't wait to see yo-"

"Hey, Barrett!" Wade and Natalya turned to see Ambrose walking back up the bleachers. _Oh, come on! We JUST started talking. _"Ziggler says we're talking too long. We gotta hurry back."

Biting his lip, the British man turned back to the blonde. "Sorry 'bout that. Dean doesn't know his manners. I'll be seeing you on Saturday, yeah?" Nat nodded eagerly. "Great, watch out for that demon cat of yours." Feeding her a wink, Wade and Ambrose turned went down the stairs and turned back to the direction of the gym.

Out of breath, Nat sat on the bleachers and let out a girlish squeal. Kaitlyn raced over to her and joined in the female bliss. "Nattie, he's totally into you! I'm jealous!" As the two laughed, Natalya thought to herself. _Okay, Neidhart. You can't focus entirely on the boy. You've gotta a big game coming up and you need to impress the big wigs._

However, that seemed to be easier said then done.

**x-x-x**

Phil flashed is ID card to Ms. Guerrero. After getting the okay, to enter the library, the student made with way to the McMahon wing in search of a certain pint-sized brunette. He found her sitting at her usual table in the back with books and papers sprawled everywhere. Punk couldn't help, but snicker at his friend silently rocking out to her iPod. He called for her, but she couldn't hear him. Sighing, Phil paused her music which made her convulse in her seat.

"Jesus, Punk." she whispered realizing it was only him. She removed her backpack from the seat so Phil could sit down.

"You studying?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nah, just trying to get some extra work done." AJ glanced at her wrist watch. "Speaking of work, should you be at The Gutter?"

Another sigh came from Punk's pierced lip. "You didn't hear about the new employee?" AJ rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle. "Apparantly you and the blonde are buddies now?"

"Dude, she's had it rough for a couple of months. I just wanna help her out, okay? She's actually pretty cool." AJ justified not looking at her friend. Punk as a bad habit of mocking privileged kids and she can't blame him. Growing up, the Mendez family had it really tough. AJ knows about working for a living and never takes anything for granted. Something that Punk lives by to the very core.

"Oh, boo-hoo the girl who comes to class dressed in Gucci has it rough." Punk scoffed. "You can't baby her."

AJ pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, shit, Punk. If you have such a problem with her, and may I mention that you barely know her," AJ enunciated so the man could understand. "why don't you teach her about how the world works?"

The tattooed man thought it over. To be honest, he wanted to spend as little time as possible with Maryse, but AJ was extremely sure of herself. Mama didn't raise a gambling man, and he was certain that this was a stretch, but he'll try. It'll kill him, but Phillip Brooks with fucking try.

"I doubt this is gonna happen, but I'll turn her into a working girl" Punk finally said.

"Oh, you're not doing this for me, Phil." AJ clarified. "Maryse is the one who needs help." Rolling his cobalt eyes once again, Punk nodded. AJ's blowing this whole thing out of proportion. What problems could a pampered princess like Maryse have? Punk gives her two weeks. Two weeks until she gives up and quits.

* * *

_**THIS IS TERRIBLE! I'm so so so so so sorry! If only my original chapter wasn't deleted. I promise the next chapter will be better. *Announcement* My friend is making me do these lame little Polyvore sets for the story so if you want to see my "Outfits of the day" just check out my twitter ' codytoads'. The first set will be of Maryse. Enjoy and please review despite the awfulness, ugh!**_

_**xxCheyenne~**_


	5. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

_**Whoa, it's been a while! Sorry guys! I've been really busy with school lately. I've got finals and my SATs coming up so I've been neglecting my stories, but once summer rolls around updates should get quicker. This chapter is a bit rushed, but I hope you guys like it anyways!**_

_**Excuse any typos!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

**Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend**

* * *

John has got it bad.

Finally, he can admit to himself that maybe he _does_ have some underlying feelings for his best friend. Jesus Christ how cliche is that? Falling for your friend that you've known for a long time? How can he ever face her again? AJ is funny, smart, witty, and god damn gorgeous. How can John risk his friendship like this?

Then again, does he have a shot either way? The brunette pixie has sworn off guys ever since the incident. It's been months and AJ's still touchy on the subject. _"School first, John! I can worry about guys when I've graduated!" _John remembers when AJ said that the summer before they came to Wilde and sure enough, it stuck.

And now Cena's stuck with a shit ton of feelings and doesn't know what to do with them. "My life is a fucking after school special, God damn it." he muttered as he hooked a crushing blow to the punching bag. With nowhere to vent his frustrations, John found solace in Wilde U's campus gym. Everyone seemed to mind their own business leaving the Massachusetts native to his own thoughts.

Why does AJ have to be so cute? Why can she read John like a book? Why can she be so easy to talk to? Why, why, _why?_ With every question racing in his mind, John punched and punched until the bag was swinging back and forth. _Get your mind out of the gutter, Cena._ Another heavy sigh left his mouth as he ran a frustrated hand through his sweaty head.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked a familiar voice. John glanced around and was relieved to see a sympathetic Kofi Kingston. It was nice to find an understanding friend instead of one who'll just clip snide remarks. Like Punk.

"I'm just a little annoyed, dude." John answered taking a swig from his water bottle. Kofi nodded and took a punch at the bag as it came swinging toward them. His blow was really on point. It's probably because he boxes with that Barrett guy.

"Is it about AJ?" the West African asked.

John rolled his eyes and grunted. "Does _everyone_ know?"

"Just about," Kofi answered. "Well, except for AJ obviously." Cena sighed, unsure if that fact was a good thing or not. He connected another shot at the bag hoping that each hit would release him from his thoughts of a certain girl.

"Dude, I don't know what I'm gonna do about this." He moaned continuing to hit the bag.

Kofi stared at his friend and wished he could offer some golden advice, but things like this are tricky. "Maybe you should just talk about it, man. I mean, she _is_ your best friend, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm just," John stopped the bag and stared at Kofi. "I'm just a bit scared, okay?" he whispered. In truth he was, this wasn't some schoolyard crush he was having. Whatever feelings he was harboring for AJ, they were pretty serious and the thought of her getting scared off and having nothing to do with him was worse than anything he could imagine.

"Sorry, John. I wish I could help." Kofi gave a defeated shrug, but John thanked him for his efforts. A snort was heard behind them and Kofi groaned when he realized who it was.

"Never figured you as the guy to get hung up on some chick." Dolph Ziggler strutted over to the guys and put a friendly arm around Kofi who gladly shrugged him off. "Listen, Cena if you wanna get over this thing you've got for Cray J, you need to get yourself laid."

Kofi pinched the bridge of his nose as John stared in confusion. "'Scuse me?"

"Don't listen to him, John. Ziggler's a talented boxer, but he's a bit socially challenged." Kofi said glaring at the bottle blonde.

"Come _on_, dude." Dolph nudged at his boxing buddy, then turned to Cena. "When was the last time you've gotten any ass?"

John rolled cobalt eyes. It's none of Ziggler's business, but it has been a while. Despite his lingering crush on AJ, John's had a few girlfriends. Most recently a girl named Nikki Bella when they were in high school. Jesus, AJ hated her. They were polar opposites. Nikki was co-captain of the cheer leading squad and had dated tons of guys. It expected that she'd end up with a guy as good looking as John. And to put any squabble to rest, John and Nikki had done it _multiple _times.

"God, Ziggler. You don't know when you've crossed a line, do you?" Kofi jeered, only to be interrupted by John's hand ushering him to stop.

"Alright, let's do it." he said.

Dolph and Kofi stared and asked, "What?" in unison.

"Let's do it, man. Let's get me laid."

**x-x-x**

_"All insects sing tonight. The coldest sound. I'd send God's grace tonight. Could it be found?"_ Punk sweeped up the linoleum floor of The Gutter after another grueling round of checking inventory. He didn't mind the sweeping; Eve would let him belt out to whatever music he was listening to since nobody showed up late at night.

Eve watched Phil as he rocked out to his loud music. She hates to admit it, but the guy is doing a hell of a job with Maryse. It's been nearly a month and the blonde hasn't quit, and Eve's starting to think that maybe the tattooed man might have something to do with it. However, she has noticed that Phil has been a bit harsh with Maryse lately. The guy doesn't have the best temper and his patience is extremely thin.

"Hey, what song is that?" she asked tapping his shoulder.

Phil stopped sweeping and took out one of his ear buds. "What'd you say?"

"I asked what you were listening to."

"Oh," Punk half laughs and leans a bit on the small broom. "They're this band called AFI."

Eve ran a hand through light brown tendrils as she packed up her things. "They any good?"

"They're alright." Punk couldn't believe he was having a civil conversation with Eve. By now, they'd start bickering about something stupid.

The latina smiled. "Well, I've gotta hand in this paper to Mr. Calaway before midnight, so I'll be seeing you." She placed her handbag on her shoulder and made way to leave the shop before Punk stopped her. "What?"

"You got something," he stopped and leaned forward. Eve tensed at his touch and bit her glossed lip as Punk plucks a piece of lint of from her hair. He holds it up for her greenish eyes to see. "I got it." He backed away and returned to his sweeping, lightly humming the song he was listening to.

Eve stood there, confused at the interaction, before remember what she needed to do. She said goodbye to Phil again, quietly this time, and left The Gutter.

Phil swept away dust bunnies, not really paying much attention. He let himself get lost in the music which he did way too often. It wasn't until he felt something with weight at the end of the broom. He looked down and saw a little silver charm bracelet.

"What the hell?" Punk lifted it to examine the trinket a bit closer. It looked expensive and had little talismans around it. A cross, moon, star, and a little owl. _Someone must've dropped it here._ The Chicagoan placed the bracelet in his pocket and finished what he started. He decided that he'll give it to Eve tomorrow, she's usually in charge with all that lost items jazz.

Finally it was time to close up shop. He locked up the doors and walked on the stone pavement towards his dorm.

* * *

_**Hope you guys enjoyed! Next chapter will be up soon, I promise.**_

_**Check out my twitter for Eve's outfit of the day, 'codytoads' Please read and review!**_

_**Also, feel free to add any suggestions! I'd love to hear them!**_

_**xxCheyenne~**_


	6. Batman vs Superman

_**Quick update is quick! **_

_**Hey, guys! I just finished my SATs today and I'm totally glad I've got that weight lifted off my shoulders. I've still got finals to worry about so I'm not sure how my updates are gonna be, but I hope to update a lot quicker over the summer.**_

_**Excuse any typos!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 6**

**Batman vs. Superman**

* * *

"Dude, maybe you're just over reacting." AJ assured from the safety of her X-Men sheeted bed. Her blonde room mate was frantically searching through her side of the dorm for some piece of jewelry. Satin pillows were scattered across the floor along with purses and make up bags. AJ was surprised to see how much nice things Maryse had despite being cut off. Then again, it's not like you can return a Gucci purse, right?

"I'm not over reacting, April." Maryse searched through her drawers, but to no avail. She was in so much distress, AJ didn't even correct her. "Do you know how much that bracelet _costs_? Ugh, that's not even the problem!"

AJ rolled soft brown eyes and kicked one of Maryse's shoes. "Did someone give it to you or something?" The blonde sighed, accepting defeat. She hung her head down and heaved another breath before looking up at her roomie.

"It was a present from my boyfriend, Ted. Well, ex-boyfriend." she said after a long time. "He was an asshole, but that bracelet is still really important to me. I don't know. He was my first love, I guess." Maryse plopped down on her pillow less bed and stared at the ceiling.

_ Her first love..._ The thought hit AJ like a punch in the face. Maybe she should tell Maryse. It would probably soothe her pain and maybe she could get over the stupid bracelet. Besides, AJ's been keeping her turmoil bottled up. It's bound to come out some time.

"Uh," _Bzzt, bzzt!_ AJ's phone started vibrating loudly on her nightstand, interrupting whatever she was going to say. Maryse didn't pay much attention and just rolled over to face the cinder block walls. Giving up her attempts, to console Maryse, the brunette checked her phone and saw a text message from Phil plastered on the screen.

_From: Punkers: hey j. can u meet me at my dorm in 20 min? john got this killer hangover & i need ur help xx_

John's been drinking? Doesn't sound like him. Something must be going on with her friend. Putting on a sweater, AJ promised to meet up later with Maryse before racing out of their room and venturing off to find John.

**x-x-x**

Wade couldn't understand why he was so intrigued by her.

Once again, the British man found himself watching Natalya practicing. The girl on the field wasn't the same clumsy cat lover he met a few months back. She was determined, agile, and a damn good player. This time, the blonde didn't notice Wade since she was practicing with the entire team and not just her two-toned haired friend. The big game against O' Grady was tomorrow and Wilde's lacrosse team was looking phenomenal.

"Hey, Wade." Cody walked up the bleachers and sat next to his room mate who greeted him with a small salute. "Well, I can't find Dolph or Seth anywhere." he said. The guys were supposed to spar today, but apparently there was a change of plans.

Wade sighed, "Guess practice is cancelled. Regal is gonna be pissed."

"You got that right." Cody stared off at the girls who were in the zone with Coach Calaway, who doubles as the Psychology teacher, enforcing drills. "Any reason why you're gawking at the girls?

"Don't know. Tell me something, Codeman. What do you think of Natalya Neidhart?"

Cody stared at his friend and turned to see the bubbly Canadian shoot another ball in the net. "Uh, she's a really great player. Rumor has it, she might make captain next year when Mickie's gone.

Wade bit his lip. Jesus, he can't keep his eyes off her. "No, I mean. What do you think of her as a _woman_?" The words fell out of his mouth garbled and shyly. This isn't how Wade acts; Barrett men are confident, but for some reason it's being questioned.

"I've never really looked at her in that way, man. Besides, I have Layla." Wade rolled his eyes. Cody had been dating her since last year and he still gets all gushy when she's mentioned. It's a tad annoying. "Wait, why do you ask?"

The Brit quickly shrugged his shoulders as if he were disinterested in the entire matter. "Just wanted your opinion."

A sly grin grew on Cody's face. "You like her." he stated very matter-of-factually.

Wade didn't fight back, he merely elbowed Cody's side and continued to stare at the field. His friend laughed to hide the slight pain. He doesn't _like_ Natalya. He just find her a bit intriguing.

"Okay, girls!" Coach Calaway blows on his whistle and the females quickly stop what they're doing. "Ten minute break!"

Natalya sighs and pulls off her face guard. She tightens up her golden ponytail and stares off at the bleachers. There's Wade again looking at her with those intense eyes. She sticks her tongue out and winks at him. He smiles back and shakes his head. Nat gets distracted when Aksana calls her over and Wade watches her scurry across the field. That one sure is strange.

Maybe Wade likes strange.

**x-x-x**

"Jesus fucking Christ, man." Punk ran a hand through his slick hair as he eyed his friend. The once triumphant John Cena was passed out, shirtless, and wrapped up in a floral blanket in Kelly Blank's girlish room. The unconscious student is totally lucky that Kelly lives in an off campus dorm. If a DA found him like this, John would end up in some serious trouble. "How did he end up like this?" Punk asked turning to a bleary eyed Dolph Ziggler who reeked like booze. The bottle blonde was the one who texted Phil as he was leaving morning classes, asking the tattooed man to pick up his room mate. Phil was unsure of what to expect, but he hoped it wasn't something like this.

"Kelly and Tiffany threw a party and we got a bit wasted." he said with a drunken grin and slurred words.

"Did he do something that I should know about?' Phil didn't want to dig into John's personal life, but he knew that he would have to deal with AJ soon after. That didn't seem all too pleasant in actuality.

Behind Dolph, and equally hungover Seth Rollins wobbled over. "Dude, I think he hooked up with Alicia! Last time I saw them, they were making out or something." Phil groaned. He started shaking his friend in an attempt to wake him up.

"Come on, Cena. AJ is gonna skin me alive if something happens to you." He stopped when he noticed John's blue eyes lazily open. Punk was thankful until John heaved over the side of the bed and vomited on the floor.

"Nasty!" Seth cried out.

Dolph gagged, "Shit, dude!"

Annoyed with all the commotion, Punk grabbed his friend, weak legs and all, and wrapped John's arm around him to maintain his balance. With his free hand he texted AJ and then turned to Dolph.

"Tell Kelly that I'll pay to have her carpet cleaned." Punk looked at John and sighed again. "Where's his shirt?" Dolph and Seth shrugged their shoulders. Phil searched around and saw a Celtics shirt and few feet from him. It was spared from John's puke storm. With much difficulty, Punk got it on his disoriented friend.

Pushing past his two idiot peers, Phil was able to journey off to the safety of his dorm. It proved to be a bit of a challenge with a two-hundred and fifty pound blob hanging on you. Plus, they had to stop every so often when John got the urge to throw up.

**x-x-x**

"Oh, my Gosh!" AJ swooped over to John's aid the second she saw him. "How bad is it?'

"He's just a bit hungover. Not to mention the barf he's been upchucking. I think we've got a bucket in here." Phil answered as he fiddled around for his keys.

John muttered something unintelligible and Punk snipped at his to shut up. Once they were inside the room, AJ and Phil helped the much taller man to his bed. Phil brought over a dull red bucket to his friend as AJ sat next to him. Her eyes were full of worry as she lightly stroked his hair.

"Do you have water?" she asked. Punk nodded and pointed over to the mini fridge next to her. AJ quickly opened it and pulled out a cold water bottle. "John, sit up."

"AJ, s'that you?" he asked in a haze.

The small woman laughed, "Yeah, man. Here, drink this." Weakly taking the bottle from her hands, John took a long swig and swallowed hard. "How'd this happen?"

"I listened to Dolph like an idiot." he answered taking in deep breaths.

AJ scoffed, "Why would you listen to him in the first place?"

John's eyes glazed over at Punk. The tattooed student was rummaging through one of the desk drawers not paying attention to his friends. "Not sure. I was just a bit pissed about something."

"About what?" she asked.

"It's nothing, Lee." Cena assured, but fiery as always, AJ wouldn't quit that easy.

"_Obviously_ it's something. Why else would you binge drink with Dolph Ziggler instead of talking to me?" AJ questioned defensively.

Before John could answer, Punk came back and threw a pack of Tylenol at him. "Take those, you big doof. Try to get some rest too." he suggested. "If you get the urge to barf, do it in the bucket or so help me God, I'll request for a new room mate."

John nodded and took the pills like Punk said to. He could tell that the Chicago native was a bit ticked off and he couldn't blame him. With a somber look at his friends, John swallowed up the rest of his water.

AJ still felt that she deserved some answers. She wanted to press John even more, but Phill grabbed her by the hand and dragged her outside. AJ seized her arm back and stared up at the taller gentleman.

"Look, Punk. I get you're trying to help him out," AJ started. Her hands were waving around and her eyes got wide. "but he's _my_ best friend and I need to know what's up."

Phil scratched the back of his neck nervously. He has a feeling that this whole drinking thing might be about AJ. He can clearly see that the girl is freaking out, but Punk can't betray John like that. That jar head has gotta tell AJ himself.

Placing strong hands on AJ's shoulders, Punk was able to calm her down. "Dude, I know you're really concerned about John, but give him some space, alright? When he sobers up, you can talk to him."

AJ huffed and puffed and shrugged Phil off of her. "Whatever, man." She grumbled. With another peek at John sleeping his hangover away, AJ stomped down the hall fighting tears of frustration.

* * *

_**Well, that's it! I hope you guys liked it!**_

_**Reviews are appreciated! Seriously, I really love them! **_

_**If you guys want to check out AJ's outfit of the day, check it out on my twitter 'codytoads'**_

_**Hopefully the next update will come soon!**_

_**xxCheyenne~**_


	7. Books & Their Covers

_**Blah, blah, blah.**_

_**Insert author's note here.**_

_**I've got some confused cuties over here.**_

_**Enjoy and excuse any typos!**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 7**

**Books & Their Covers**

* * *

"Looks like someone's feeling better." AJ pointed out as her best friend chowed down on another burger. The two friends were eating out at the local diner just a few blocks away from the University. John got over his little drunken spell and his huge appetite came back with a vengeance. "You want another one, dude?"

John smirked, licking a bit of ketchup from his bottom lip, "I'll get this one myself, Lee. It's the least I could do for being such an ass the other day." He popped one of AJ's fries into his mouth, which earned him an exaggerated gasp from the pixie.

"So you're not gonna tell me what happened with Dolph, huh?" the young woman asked. She took a sip of her soda and flicked her brown eyes at John's blue ones.

"I _did_ tell you," John defended. "I was stressed over exams and Dolph offered some booze. Not one of my smartest decisions, but I take all the blame." He flashed his good old lover boy smile and AJ melted. Damn him and his stupid all-American boy charm. Despite this, AJ knew John was lying to her, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and drop the subject altogether.

"Alright, Johnny boy. Whatever you say." she teased. John scoffed and grabbed even more of her fries. AJ snickered staring at John. He had a goofy grin stuffed with french fries. "_This _is going online. Say 'cheese'!" AJ pulled out her phone and snapped John who stuck up his thumbs making the scene look even more comical.

After swallowing the slightly massive amount of food, with the help of long swig of pepsi, John cocked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you've got an instagram, Lee."

The student shrugged her shoulders and fiddled around with her phone. "Maryse kinda coerced me into making one." A smiled formed on her face and she showed the screen to her friend. "Look, you've already got three likes!"

John rolled his eyes. It's been a while since he and AJ hanged out. Just the two of them. Ever since they both got into Wilde, Punk has become an unofficial member of their small clique. Not that it's a problem. John enjoys having the Chicagoan around; in the short time that they've been room mates, the two guys have gotten pretty close. Close enough that John could confide in Punk about his crush on AJ - however John's about a thousand percent sure that Phil noticed that from the second he met the duo.

Getting back on topic, John treasured the times he's spent with AJ. Who would've known that the new girl from tenth grade would become his best friend? John chuckles at their first encounter. They were totally different from each other, AJ started out all shy and didn't get along with most girls and John couldn't keep the girls away from him. How they became drawn to each other is still pretty strange, but John is happy that it happened.

It wasn't until their senior year that John started to crush on AJ, but by that time she was already in a relationship with that asshole Daniel Bryan. _If I knew then..._

"Earth to Johnny?" AJ snapped her fingers when she noticed her friend drifting off. "You alright there, man?"

John faked a laugh and nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking that we should take a pic together." AJ's face lit up and she scooted over to the other side of the booth so that she and John were together. She held up her phone hoping to get the two of them in the frame, but made a face when John's face kept getting stuck in the corner.

"Here, let me do it." The man said taking the sticker covered phone in his hand. Finally able to get the two of them centered in the camera, the friends made a goofy face and snapped the photo.

"This is great!" AJ said gawking at this picture as if it were a prized possession. She toyed around with her phone and John watched her from the corner of his eye. Damn it, she's a cutie. The way she bites her lip when she's in her own little world and how the smallest things make her day. "Check it out!"

John looked at the small screen and grinned at their dumb expressions. "Well, don't we just make the cutest couple." he said sarcastically expecting AJ to just laugh it off.

What he didn't see coming was AJ's face softening as she stared at her phone. With a small sigh she muttered a, "Yeah..." Putting her phone away, the small woman went back to her side of the booth and gave a big cheeky grin. "So, I've got class in twenty minutes. You wanna hang out later?"

Clearing his throat, John nodded. With that, AJ finished the rest of her food and gave John a small wave as she left the diner. He took in a deep breath and rubbed his face. Something's definitely up and John's gotta find out what.

**x-x-x**

More often than not, Maryse found herself in the library. With her busy schedule of school and work, not to mention that rambunctious room mate of hers, the blonde found solace in an abandoned corner in the massive building. Who would've thought that Maryse Ouellet would end up spending her free time in a place like this?

Surely not Melina Perez, one of the few friends from high school that she still keeps in contact with. She didn't care about Maryse's financial situation, Melina only worried about her friend's well being. That _and_ the mysterious guy Maryse can't shut up about.

_From: Mel: sooooo tell me more about this guy! is he cute? what's his name?_

A smile formed on Maryse's faces as she stared at her phone. University hasn't changed Melina one bit. She's still the same nosy gossip she's always been. Making sure that the librarian wasn't making her rounds, Maryse tapped away.

_To: Mel: he's just some guy i work with. no big deal... his name's phil._

_ From: Mel: phil huh? and you mentioned before that he's got tattoos? sounds hot!_

Maryse rolled her eyes as she settled herself on the floor. The hard linoleum floor hurt her bottom. Maybe wearing a high-low skirt today wasn't the best choice, but damn it, Maryse looked pretty freaking great today.

_To: Mel: eh. he's a bit of a jerk sometimes. can't stand to be in the same room with him for too long._

_ From: Mel: sounds like a lover's quarrel ;)_

The blonde snorted. Melina's being insane. There's obviously nothing going on between her and that delinquent. Maryse has tried for weeks to get on his good side, but that guy seems to be hell bent on making her quit. Well, try as he may, that's not going to happen because, frankly, Maryse can't afford to quit. Eve has been a major help with every the whole Phil thing. She seems to diffuse the tension, but she's only around for so long.

Maryse focused back on her phone after realized she was staring off into space again.

_To: Mel: get your head out of the gutter, girl. i've gotta go. stay sexy!_

_ From: Mel: i always do! byeee!_

Putting her phone away, Maryse started checking through her notes from Helmsley's class. There's a big pop quiz coming up any day now and she's gotta make sure she knows her stuff. It's not all that hard; Maryse is a smart girl, don't let the blonde hair fool you.

Maryse was twenty minutes into her study session when she heard footsteps. She groaned at the thought of someone coming in to disturb her solitude. It's particularly why the blonde chose this certain part of the library. Nobody ever comes to check out the romance novels, all anyone ever does is study and take out boring books on business and marketing. (All that jazz) Ignoring the oncoming footfalls, Maryse kept her nose in her books. This is _her _free time.

The perpetrator in ruining her day off skimmed through the books before grabbing a random one off the shelf. Maryse peeked up a bit and noticed that his fingers were tattooed. _No, no, no, no, no._ But alas, Phil Brooks sat down on the floor across from her and cracked open his book.

Today he decided to wear a Rancid t-shirt that, shamefully, showed off the muscles of his inked arms. Damn him. He's obviously doing this on purpose. Maryse sighed and eventually broke the silence. "What brings _you_ here?" Her voice was soft and wary. It bugged to absolute shit out of her.

Punk offered her a crooked grin and turned the page of his book. "Just admiring the Dewey decimal system."

Maryse let out a chuckle that caught the tattooed man by surprise. "Never pegged you as a romantic." she said holding up the book that was currently in Punk's possession. It featured the cliche scene of a shirtless Adonis, holding a damsel in distress-esque woman wearing a flowy silk dress with their hair blowing in the wind. It was comical.

Phil shrugged his shoulders. "You kidding me, I love this stuff."

"So what are you _really _doing here?" Maryse asked tossing the book back at Punk. "Did I mess something up at work?"

"Yeah, about that," Punk started. "I've recently been made aware that I'm kind of an asshole to you." The man remembers vividly of the numerous talks he's had with AJ and Eve about going easy on the blonde. And he'll admit, he's kind of an douche. Maryse raised an eyebrow. _Is he shitting me right now?_ She thought to herself. Just a few days ago the guy was laughing at her when she tripped her way into the store.

Giving off a shit eating grin, Maryse asked, "So you're basically saying that you're sorry for being a complete _salaud_?" She started putting her books away while Phil stared confusingly.

"Guessing that's french for handsome jerk off?" Phil grinned and the corner of Maryse's mouth tipped up and her eyebrows sank into a disbelieving gaze. This guy _is_ an asshole. A cute one, but still one nonetheless.

"Your guess would be wrong, but close." the blonde grabbed her bag and started to leave the building. Before she got too far, she turned back to Punk who was still on the floor. "However, if you want to make it up to me, you can actually help me at work next time."

Phil turned around to face Maryse, he had a mischievous look on his face. "Is this a date? Because I have _nothing_ to wear." he said in an exaggerating fashion, earning a glare from Ms. Guerrero who was making her rounds.

"I would have to _like_ you to go out with you, wouldn't I?" Maryse tossed her hair over her shoulder and left the library feeling the most confident she's felt in weeks. Punk still had a smirk as he laid down on the floor to check out the high ceiling.

He's not really sure what he's got himself into. He knows he doesn't like girls like Maryse. All prim and proper. Then again, that just might be his problem. Maybe Beth's right; Maybe he needs someone to challenge him.

Maybe Maryse Ouellet is the toughest challenge of all.

* * *

_**Well, I'm glad this is done. An update should come soon enough!**_

_**Remember to read and review!**_

_**xxCheyenne~**_


End file.
